Drawing Dead, by Brian McKinley, is set in 1930s New York, a time when the Mafia ruled supreme in the area. We first meet Faolan O’Connor, a hitman known as ‘the Wolf’, as he is preparing to go out on a job to take out Dutch Schultz. Faolan himself is also marked for death this night, and he knows it. He happens to have been one of those responsible for Charlie Luciano’s brush with death that earned him the name ‘Lucky’, and Luciano is ready to repay the favour.

But Faolan has a secret. He’s far more than he appears to be. He’s wily, and wary. ‘Fox’ might have been a better nickname than ‘Wolf’. And he isn’t quite human anymore… The Vampyr, as they are known, exist as an underworld beneath the criminal underworld, controlling things from the deepest shadows, and those of New York are currently at war with Vampyr of other cities. It is a part of this world that Faolan now belongs thanks to Darcy Killian. Question is- can Faolan survive this far more brutal arena, and protect the city he calls home?

This era in history, this time and place, fascinates me. I have a particular interest in these Mafia men of New York, especially Charlie 'Lucky' Luciano. In fact, I have an entire shelf of books devoted to this man who, in many ways, 'civilised’ a brutal subculture. While most of these people were mentioned only briefly, they and the historical era are what drew me to the book in the first place. While you don’t get to see many of the historical Mafia players of the time, Arnold Rothstein, Lucky’s mentor, plays a very big role.

Now… I’m not a big vampire fan. I feel it’s been overused, especially after the fiasco that is Twilight. Sorry… vampires are not supposed to sparkle… McKinley has chosen a rarer variation on the vampire theme. They aren’t technically dead. They do need blood to survive, and don’t really need to eat. They are stronger, faster, more resilient. Short of the head or heart being taken out, they can heal just about anything, and quickly too.

Drawing Dead is a wonderfully weird blend of urban fantasy and the 'mafia/mobster’ novel subset of hist fic. Paranormal Mafia? How could I resist? It’s a gritty action story, but it contains layers of psychological growth and transformation. I loved how Faolan himself grew and changed, learning to trust, however grudgingly. As someone with trust issues, I found it easy to sympathise. Well-written and researched, with an engaging pace, it was easy to slip into the story and walk with Faolan.

If you enjoy the shows and books of the worlds of X-Files, Grimm, and Supernatural, or if you, like me, have a love of this particular time in America, take a peek at McKinley’s Drawing Dead.

***This book was first read for Reader’s Favourite in 2016, and reread for the Love Books Tour. Many thanks to Reader’s Favourite/ Love Books Tours, and the author for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

Faolan O’Connor grew up in New York City and joined the mob at an early age. He worked as a hired killer in order to get power, respect, and money, but little by little it destroyed his family and everything he loved. One fateful night in 1935 he goes out to perform his last hit, hoping to die in the process. What he gets instead is immortality from a vampire and the boss of New York, Darcy Killian. Faolan’s whole world changes but not how you think it would.

Faolan already led a life of violence and destruction, but as a vampire, his feelings start to change. He wants power but he wants to help his city too. The only way he can do that is by taking down the boss of New York, Killian. He may have a lot of enemies but he makes a lot of friends on the way, if he plays his cards right he may get redemption and the power he desires.

Drawing Dead by Brian McKinley is a novel about vampire mobsters set during The Great Depression in New York City. Just the way this novel feels when you start reading, hooked me right away. The Way Brian describes the surroundings and the characters showed that he really did his homework on what life was like in organized crime and in the Depression. When you read this book you feel like you are right there with the characters and you know them personally.

It’s hard to pick out my favorite scenes in this book since there were so many. The one I loved was after Faolan wins a promotion from his boss, he decides to return to his mother’s home because he feels the need to reconcile with all of the evil and destruction he has caused in the past. When he gets there he finds that his mother has passed and there are squatters living in his boyhood home. At this point, he has to decide to let his vampire instincts kick in and kill the family or have mercy on them. What he does is a total surprise and shows how Faolan is evolving as a character. Another part that really stands out is a scene where a vampire named Frank shows that he is not the evil monster that we think he is, but if you find out his secret, it could be the last secret you ever find out.

There is also a great scene where Killian shows Faolan what he has planned for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Killian’s vision sounds like it’s a step in the direction of what America is like in the present day with small businesses becoming a thing of the past and corporations running everything. As Faolan is hearing this, he is thinking that he doesn’t like this New York of the future and loves his city the way it is. While reading this I found myself wondering how Faolan would change as a character when he reaches the present day. Since he is a vampire he would still be around.

Drawing Dead could be considered a masterpiece, It’s a tale of redemption that works as a horror novel, a crime novel and it fits nicely into the historical fiction category. Though what really makes this novel great is how complex the characters are. Each of them has good and bad points, even the main villain doesn’t come across as pure evil. This was a novel that for me was hard to put down and you don’t have to be a vampire or organized crime fan to love it, my favorite parts were all the references to the 1930’s. Brian McKinley is an author to watch in the future and there will be more books to come in this series. ( )